kalimeeri
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Posts posted by kalimeeri
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Saying the war in Iraq is responsible for New Orleans is just flat-our ridiculous.
Homeland Security budget concerns stemmed from terrorist attacks on US soil, not the war in Iraq.
People need to get their facts straight. And ultimately, each state and city makes their own decisions where to spend money, so pointing fingers at Bush is misplaced here.
I can't believe how blind people have become by partisian politics and hatred that they can't differentiate fact from fiction.
Exactly. 'It's Bush's fault' finger-pointing is an attempt to shift the blame. Every city and state in the US applies for government subsidies and grants, and not one ever gets all the money they ask for. The city itself bears the responsibility for prioritizing where the funds are spent.
As for the complaints about FEMA's slow reaction time, aid never arrives fast enough for those in need. All in all, I think it has taken less time to mobilize the giant this time than it did in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. (Practice makes perfect). But again, the responsibility for getting FEMA rolling ASAP falls on the city; there is an application process. Look no farther than the first letter of the acronym: Federal. I know of at least one instance last year where aid was delayed for a week because the application was improperly filled out.
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If one were to draw a parallel concering how people act with the how people acted during the disaster in south asia, is it really culture that affects our actions so much? Or is it something else?
Just because people are 'poor' doesn't mean they're 'low class'. And vice versa. If all North American people in such an extreme situation acted that way, maybe a parallel might be drawn ... but earthquake, flood, hurricane or blizzard, they don't.
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Yes, it is shameful, but it is to be expected. Its the most natural of human nature, greed.
I suppose. And all it takes is one to lead the flock. But even with Andrew (I worked rescue for that one) SoFl didn't degenerate into the kind of war zone the news is talking about.
Wow, gas hit $3 a gallon for the weak-tea variety. What do you want to bet it never goes back down?
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The problem is that damage costs are not just related to the strength of the storm; the number of structures that will need to be replaced climb out of sight in areas where the structures are very old or not built with storm possibilities in mind. (That's why in poorer areas of the world there is such tremendous loss.) You can't avoid all damage, but some can be minimized. In Florida (where I live) the construction codes have evolved somewhat--in certain low areas, any new house must be on stilts. To my mind, wood-frame construction is just silly. And staying in one of those houses in the pictures during a Cat 5? Never. But that's what many people did. Too many.
Evacuations are almost impossible to enforce. Old people often refuse to leave the home they've lived in for 60 years, and many folks just don't believe it can happen to them. No one wants to be responsible for calling in the military to sweep people out of their homes, when hurricanes can and often do abruptly change directions.
This city was not prepared. But I bet it will be next time (yes, there will be a 'next time.')
What I find shameful is the looting. Food and water, I can understand. But electronics (no electricity, duh), guns and drugs?
I'm with the folks who wished they'd visited 'old' NO when they had the chance. A whole lot is going to change.
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But special item drops on Malachor V are kind of wasted, don't you think? The game is practically over; and installing them requires a lot of backtracking to a single workbench--for very little gain. I didn't bother.
-Spoiler tagged. We are in General after all -Battlewookiee
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I've always wondered how Atris planned to deal with the Sith threat, assuming that her plan was successful? Her past actions always seemed a bit cowardly; she isn't the type who meets an attack head-on in person, yet she desperately wanted to be the hero. Did she assume her Echani could handle it? She seems like a smart lady, yet if she didn't have enough Echani, she'd only bring another war to a Republic that she knew very well wasn't ready to handle it. The Jedi couldn't help, and she wanted and expected to see Exile crash and burn. Maybe she hoped all of the Jedi would be wiped out, freeing her to make her 'new order' without getting her hands dirty. But even if the Sith bypassed Telos as not worth the effort, the planet is still totally dependent on the Republic for survival. So either her timing is skewed, or we're missing a piece of the puzzle ... assuming that she wasn't a wacko, and I don't think she was that far gone. She intended to survive, and she is a planner by nature.
BTW, I think Atris may have had some idea what kind of threat it was--she deliberately chose warriors without a grain of force sensitivity, and surrounded herself with them. They were undetectable through the force, as well as not being able to discern her Sith leanings. That action wasn't spur of the moment; it seems to me that she started building her academy close after Dantooine was destroyed, because it seems fairly well established.
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Doesn't Zek say something to the order of him not being a jedi, not any longer... which would sort of validate what Jit posted?
Yes, but Exile can't in any way be considered a Jedi by that definition, either. Exile wasn't even part of the Order any more, let alone practicing any peacekeeping. Atris has some imagination, not to mention that huge chip on her shoulder.
Obviously there were little traces of force sensitivity dotted all over the galaxy, but Nihilous was drawn to larger concentrations because he was sooo hungry. Scooping up crumbs is a pain, and wouldn't help much. But even one fat juicy Jedi would be worth looking for.
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Hopefully Talia is smarter than to have a frivolous relationship in her situation. The last thing she needs is a scandal. I think she was just flattered that a Master Jedi would want to help her, and had a bit of hero-worship going on--but Kavar was a con artist! He had a sweet setup until the *%# hit the fan. He might like living in a palace and having a queen at his beck and call, but I think he's all talk. Notice how he waited until only a couple baddies were left standing before he rushed in to save the day. And notice too how he did his smooth-talking routine on Exile, then backstabbed him on Dantooine. At least with Vrook you always knew where you stood; it's impossible to respect Kavar.
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I completed all the refugee quests and helping out Fassa as well. I am still not getting the cutscene where the other ship lands and takes over the Ebon Hawk. Yes, I already handed the Hawk over to the dude who claimed it was his, but for some weird reason can still enter it. This allowed me to convert Atton, Bao-Dur AND the Disciple into Jedi. I defeated all the pazaak players. I stole from Vogga AND convinced him to let me have a go at G0-T0. I wiped out both the Serroco gang AND every member of Saquesh's gang (including Saquesh). Have I missed a trigger?
Also I have completed Telos, Dantooine and Onderon (Part 1) before going to Nar Shaddaa. (Note: I had the Mandalore in my party so the group you get in the warehouse has now gone to Dxun.)
Other stuck Quests:
I never got the two criminals in Telos. I went to Czerka after EVERY SINGLE thing I did on Telos.
The ladies you're supposed to talk to to complete the Redemption quest in Dantooine disappeared.
Heeeellllllppppp!!1
Do you still have access to the airspeeder? If so, I think that's the problem. Fly the thing back to the Refugee sector and walk back to Ebon Hawk--going back out through that entrance on foot I think is the trigger. The airspeeder lets you complete quests outside the Refugee Sector without forwarding the plot, as long as you remember to walk back out when you're done. The takeover always happened right after that.
(You are only able to complete the other two quests with any certainty with TSLRP's restoration mod. Dantooine is hopeless without it. But the criminals should appear on Telos. They were present in Czerka office right after I'd talked to the TSL commander and Ithorians, but before I'd sided with either group--but this quest may give you more time leeway than some others. I've only ever seen them on Telos' surface once, and can't figure out what I did differently that time.)
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Gaming was instant addiction for me: an ascii sprite snake that grew as it ate (on an old CP/M--DOS's daddy--machine). After that, with my brand new shiny 8088 Amstrad, I 'mostly' bought games for my kids, to legitimize my addiction. Mixed-up Mother Goose led to King's Quest and Quest for Glory... I do remember the first CD game I bought, just to 'test' the new drive technology: Labyrinth, which was a pain because half the time the sound didn't initialize, and there were no subtitles.
Memorable as it relates to 'great moments in gaming' ... there were many early ones, but most belong to old Sierra and Lucas Arts--Monkey Island, DOTT, Gabriel Knight, QFG, KQ and SQ. Adventure games ruled; I played DOOM, etc., but never cared much for it, I think because the FPS viewpoint makes me feel claustrophobic.
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9600XT.
The golden rule is never ever buy the newest thing out of the slot; wait till the hype has died down. Classics aren't apparent right away, but they're well worth hunting for a year or so later. (I hold tightly to my Monsoon 5.1 speakers and two Northgate Omnikeys going on 20 years old).
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I love well-done books/movies/games about time travel, a la Journeyman Project 2 and 3, Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog, Jack Finney's two novels...
The problem with much fantasy/sci-fi is believability; there are way too many examples where a director/writer puts more emphasis on tech and setting than he does on the story and characters. Ask any of them what it's about, and they'll say 'it's about this guy (or girl) who...' Exactly. That's where reality comes in, because people and their basic values haven't changed much over hundreds of years; immersion depends on the audience identifying with or being able to relate to your characters and/or their situation. If you can pull that off, I'll read it, even if I dislike steam-punk as much as I do anything 'historical'. (All of the above deal with history).
Good wishes for your project.
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Damned great game that IWD 2.
It deserved more attention than it got. Music is good, and the story and character creation system work equally well in single or multiplayer. I just wish my paladin would stop refusing rewards and my daughter would stop scarfing up all the good loot.
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For 'consistent' replay, Freespace 1 and 2, but I have a penchant for going back and playing much older games that I have loved (Realms of the Haunting, Betrayal at Krondor, GK1/2, Wing Commander 1-4 to name a few recently revisited). I archived all my old DOS games from floppies to 8 CD's full, just to preserve them; and when nothing in current games looks remotely interesting, I haul them out. Sometimes the graphics are a bit wanting, but the stories aren't. Dev's should take note--your fancy graphics will fade to technology, but the story and characters will make you immortal.
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Quest for Glory 5...i mean redo this one and release a good finish to the series, frickin Sierra.
Put that on repeat for Gabriel Knight 3. I thought VA was over the top, GK was very out of character as Indiana Jones, and the story was squandered for the sake of the graphics engine. Not to mention that even if I wanted to dust it off and give it a second chance, it refuses to install. I still want my money back, and I want a real sequel. Sierra's probably locked up this copyright in its airtight vault, along with all those wonderful older games people 'could' still enjoy, if they could only buy a copy.
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BTW, I read through the background of the McDonald's lawsuit with the two obese teenage girls, and there is some substance to it--it's interesting, but as far as I can see, unprovable when the defense is so rich and powerful. Mickey D's marketing strategy borders on indoctrination ... and it's aimed directly at children. Worldwide. It's not just a matter of will power at that point--except with the parents, who probably don't know they're not doing their kids any favors when they give in to time/whining. Mickey's food isn't that healthy (even their salads contain a significant amount of sugar); and it becomes habit if not an almost physical craving. Not to mention that school cafeterias have followed suit with their offerings, from demand and convenience and deliberate ignorance. Pack your kid's lunch, and guaranteed he or she will trade it off to some 'loser' for a plate of french fries.
Kids get and stay fat, display behavioral problems, and become diabetic, hypertensive and have gall bladder surgery in their 20's. Mickey doesn't care--it's all okay if it makes him richer. McDonald's set the stage years ago, and continues to plaster commercials throughout prime-time TV, and lure kids with 'playgrounds' and fuzzy, harmless Ronald. All the while dispensing megacalories, megafat and sodium, and subliminalizing poor nutrition. 'Happy' meal, anyone?
McDonald's isn't the only offender, but compare the lines when you drive by Wendy's, Burger King, etc., and you'll see how effective their 'marketing' is. Read their nutritional analyses--if you can get McD's to provide one with print large enough to read. If you even ask, you're treated like a *smoker* by staff and patrons alike. This is one lawsuit I wish had been given more attention and credibility, if only for the 'brainwashing' tactics. The piper will be paid ... but not by McDonald's.
Yeah, it sounds nuts. But I don't think it is all bunk.
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The story, in general, is well done and deeper than K1; but they are different types of stories. They can't really be compared. In replaying K1, I was surprised to recall how much classic Bioware humor flows through it; K2 was darker and more serious, but preference all depends what kind of mood I'm in. One thing I really did miss in replaying K1, though, was the item creation and upgradability of weapons/armor. Only certain items could be upgraded, and then you had two options at most. And I missed the robes. K1's Jedi robes were flat and ugly.
The other differences were of minor importance. Force powers were expanded in K2, but it bordered on too many choices. Neat ideas, but in combat, I only ever used a couple. Comparable spells in K1 seemed more powerful (Force whirlwind, for example).
As for mentor, I was more interested in figuring out what Kreia's game was than learning from her. I felt K2's party-member backstories were somewhat less compelling, rather from involvement than content. (Exile pats head): 'That's nice, dear. Glad you got it off your chest. Moving right along...' But I definitely think Obsidian made the right choice in cutting the 'padawan-training' sequences-- flat out *boring*.
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Not the SATA models I hope?
Cause my new drive is a WD Caviar 160gig SATA
I had the IDE versions. WD does seem to make a lot of 160's, so maybe I just got two bad ones (or early models).
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I had a fairly new 160 gig WD crash without even a 'click' warning. The machine just went down ... pffhhht. WD's warranty service replaced it with a refurb, which I had problems with from the get-go. I used my old 80-gig Maxtor (old reliable) to bring the machine back up until I bought a new 200. Both companies make good drives, but some models are prone to problems; I think that's the case with the 160. The 200's work great.
But to avoid the reinstall merry-go-round (I think I reinstalled Windows 4 times that week, shifting hard drives about), I backed up my boot partition with Acronis True Image--small, light program that burns a backup directly to DVD RW (can be configured to boot, and then replace every freaking byte onto a new drive from DOS level). A 100-gig partition only took 4 DVD RW discs on full compression. As long as you haven't changed the MOBO out in the meantime, you're back in business right away. The program also will clone one drive/partition to a new one (inside Windows), if your faulty drive is still running. And it will do incremental backups, so you don't have to do everything all over again. I found the interface to be a bit finicky at first, but I'd rather deal with that than anything from Symantec any more.
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If you choose Nar Shaddaa as your first planet, you can turn both Bao and Atton before you leave (if you pay close attention to influence points). In a couple spots you might have to switch one or the other out of the party so that the right one gets influence; save just before each conversation or event so you can see how it's going to go.
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anyway, the game does connect the dots back to the autoprint, but it may be very conditional that you receive that information, and there's no real fanfare attached to it. Easy to miss.
Are you sure you aren't an extreme case of this where you suspect him so much that you think there is stuff attached to him :ph34r: or stretching little tidbits so far into different (you didn't start the "Force Sex" term did you?).
Nope. It's there. (And nope.)
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Fingerprints identify people. There is a line that ties him into the story, but it isn't real obvious. They (Memory fails, I think Gendogenarians?) knew you were Revan before you did.
Genoharadan Bounty Hunter Guild?
I don't think it was them because I think you can get that fan to ask you even if you already have the quest (doing Tatooine late in the game).
I did suspect him of a bad intention related to DNA or ID or something along those lines (but not because you were Revan though)
Maybe not the guild, then, but I didn't think it was Malak himself. Maybe someone who works for someone who works for him... could even have been Saul. Anyway, the game does connect the dots back to the autoprint, but it may be conditional that you receive that information, and there's no real fanfare attached to it. Easy to miss. I think it loses its importance because by that time the revelation itself takes precedence. I hate when I forget things. *#*)*(!
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Just making use of the Poll function here.
KotOR was the first RPG I'd played for many many years so I was expecting a big interleaved game everywhere - which it was. It also meant I tended to connect everything to something else, so when that Swoop Fan wanted my auto-print I really did hesitate before giving it and I just expected it to come back later.
Anyway, it didn't! Damn you BioWare you tricked me
- good job 
.You do know that this 'fan' is not just asking for an autograph, don't you? Fingerprints identify people. There is a line that ties him into the story, but it isn't real obvious. They (Memory fails, I think Gendogenarians?) knew you were Revan before you did.
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Bao-Dur goes over the top in pleasantness and control, except in a few spots; it's kind of spooky in a guy who has a lot of rage and aggression bottled up. Big warning sign. An explosion of some type was imminent, we just didn't get to see it. I don't think Bao's actor did a bad job at all, but this was not exactly a character that could showcase his talent. We only got a glimpse of emotion when he was talking to Canderous, and then nothing, so the character journey was incomplete and the point was lost.
Cause my new drive is a WD Caviar 160gig SATA
- good job 
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Hurricane!
in Way Off-Topic
Posted
On the face, it does look bad. But consider this: under emergency conditions, many agencies go to a 12-hr work schedule, cancel any and all time off, and will not allow their people to go home. Their families do not exist; if they need something, it's too damn bad. Seeing so much death and destruction, people have a deep psychological need to reassure themselves that their own loved ones are safe.
Not the least of the problem is that the local law enforcement position is untenable. Reading between the lines speaks of confusion and conflicting orders, and they certainly don't have the manpower to handle such a crisis. In the absence of unified, organized command, if they take an action on their own, not only will the agency crucify them, but they might even be prosecuted.
I don't think sense of duty is the issue. They're under extreme pressure of every kind, and to some it may not be worth it.